The protesters don’t want large ships passing through anymore, after months of being free of cruise ships entering Venice, a World Heritage site, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The topic has even mobilised support from stars like Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger and actor Tilda Swinton, who in an open letter to the Italian government called for a halt to cruises in the lagoon.

Before the pandemic, Venice was hounded by millions of tourists every year, with cruises being especially controversial among locals.

“It was like an April Fool’s joke,” No Grandi Navi wrote in the call to protest, alluding to a regulation that came into force on April 1 that recognises the issue but allows for ships’ passing until a solution has been found.

The Italian government has called for ideas on where large ships could dock outside of the lagoon. No concrete plans have been presented yet.

Meanwhile, the cruise industry body Clia was also surprised the ships could dock in Venice again, but said it was a positive signal for the billion-euro industry.

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